Many ancient peoples had holy men, called Shamans, to help them understand and engage with both the ‘spirit world’ and the actual world. Interestingly, some practices, like going into a trance, or entering an animal’s mind, as a spirit guide, seem remarkably prevalent globally.

Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits which affect the lives of the living.

Werner Forman photographed many artefacts relating to Shamanism worldwide. Here is a selection of images from North America.